Gigs - past, present and future

As 2011 comes to an end I am reflecting back on one of my great loves, live music.

2011 was a pretty good year - Beady Eye, Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry, Wild Beasts, Warpaint, Miles Kane (twice), Glee, Take That with Robbie and Kasabian.

Each very different and brilliant, Katy Perry smelt of strawberries, Kylie Minogue had a water fountain, Glee was OTT, Take That with Robbie was a childhood dream and Kasabian was amazing!

2010 was an amazing year! Gaga, Rihanna, Britney and Beyonce! And those were just the major ones.

So far 2012 is looking promising.

Only two gigs booked in one in February and one in March.

In February at Alexandra Palace in London I will be seeing The Black Eyes. I am beyond excited the album is immense and I have no doubt they will be amazing live.
As support they have Band of Horses, who should also be fantastic.

And in March I will be seeing McFly at Portsmouth Guildhall. This will be my fourth time seeing the band, and they are pretty good live. Always a good atmosphere and just good.

Hopefully I will be adding to this list, especially Lady Gaga, really want to see her again so fingers-crossed!

No-one else I don't think I want to see, but time will tell.

Music makes the world go round

Music, you sing to it, you dance to it, you talk about it. No matter what type you like everyone likes some sort of music. You can go to a foreign country and a song will come on and you may not speak the same language but you can both sing and dance along to a Take That song.

I love music, songs can evoke such powerful feelings, the one you danced with on your girly holiday (Outkast Hey ya and Britney Toxic, Dublin '04) or the one your Mum danced to in the kitchen. They can help you through break ups or break downs. A song can make you smile or make you cry and there is nothing better than music while getting ready for a night out.

My boyfriend, I would say, has a very cool taste in music. He loves The Beatles, Bob Dylan, new indie bands and bands such as Deer Tick or The Rifles, as well as some bands you have never heard but are equally brilliant. If you flick through his iPod you get song after song of amazing tracks (although some are a little depression, I love Joy Division but can be a bit of a downer). I think he is a connoisseur of music and I don't think there is a dud song on his iPod, just don't tell him I said that.

My musical tastes are very varied. I was told by my mum who borrowed my iPod that if she didn't know me she would think I was a gay man, due to the amount of Kylie, Showtunes and Glee I had on there. My boyfriend can't understand how I can have songs like Bring the Light by Beady Eye, and bands such as Blondie and The Courteeners along songs by Katy Perry, Kylie and the Spice Girls. My iPod I know is very random, a bit like me. I love listening to Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal at the gym, or Kylie before a night out. If I am driving in the sun I whack on a bit of The Jacksons, or if I am in a bit of a mood Bloc Party.

I suppose I do have bands I like but sometimes I just like songs, if a song has a strong guitar I will probably like it. If a song sounds like a great dance track (LMFAO Party Rock Anthem), or just something I can sing my heart out to I will usually love it.

If you have read my blog before you will be able to tell I am a gig junkie, so if a song sounds amazing live or the song it self sounds like and has the vibe of being live, I will love it. I know it sounds strange but some songs I just love and I don't know why.

I will admit outright I am a very poppy girl, I love cheesy tunes and as you know Kylie is my icon but if a song has a strong guitar, emotional lyrics or a fit front man... I'm there!

Beady Eye, 9th March 2011, Troxy London

I realised the other day I hadn't done a Beady Eye review so here it is.


Beady Eye is the new band from Manchester singer and Oasis front man Liam Gallagher. The band have a more sixties vibe and the songs are more upbeat than Oasis.

The band opened with the fantastic Four Letter Word and played a host of songs from the album Same Gear, Still Speeding, including the brilliant Bring on the Light, it is such a fantastic up-beat song that I couldn't imagine Oasis playing.

Liam is a phenomenal front-man and has a stage presence and swagger like no other. I have seen him perform in Oasis, not long before the split, and he seemed a lot more relaxed and I suppose happy in his own Liam way. He didn't just storm off and dare I say it seemed to enjoy performing something that I don't think he did really near the end of Oasis. I will admit though Liam doesn't talk much to the crowd but when he does he makes it worth it. At the end he said "I'll see you again soon.... if I can be arsed."

Beady Eye were supporting by Miles Kane of The Last Shadow Puppets, he is the other guy with Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkey's. Mile's new song Closer is excellent if you haven't heard it check it out, he played a slightly different mix but his voice carries and he can fill a room. I predict big things for Miles this year. This is his year to break out and show the world what a great singer he is.

Not really a comprehensive review but Beady Eye are an amazing band and will be here for as long as Liam and the other want to do it.

Another mention should also go to the venue, Troxy in London. It is a 1930s art deco building. It retains most of its original art-deco features and it just beautiful as a venue. It looks like it used to be a theatre and is huge. I love that it has it original features and hasn't been ripped apart, as the venue I thinks can hold music. It reminds me of Bournemouth Academy, which is another fantastic venue.